How do I deal with comparison and fear of being a mediocre artist?

You are working to close the distance between what you see in your mind and what appears on the page, and while you do, two ghosts keep showing up: other people's work, and the fear that yours is only ordinary. Almost every serious artist knows these ghosts. They tend to arrive precisely because you care about being good. Comparison lies to you by measuring your inside against everyone else's outside. You see their finished, polished result and weigh it against your rough, in-progress reality. That is not a fair contest, and it tells you nothing true about whether your work matters. Mediocrity is not a verdict handed down by comparison; it is just a fear wearing a costume. Turn your attention back to the work in front of you. Compare today's piece only to your own last one, and ask what you learned. When the fear of being ordinary rises, make one more mark anyway. The way past it is not to win the comparison. It is to keep making the thing only you can make.